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BBC Report: India Was Informed a Day Before That Sheikh Hasina’s Time Was Up

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Last Sunday, in an attempt to curb the escalating unrest in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina convened a meeting with senior security officials. Despite the gravity of the situation, she seemed unwilling to accept that her tenure as Prime Minister was nearing its end.

Few could have predicted the swift turn of events that would see Sheikh Hasina swept away by a tidal wave of public dissent within hours. Although she initially resisted the advice of top security officials, it was the counsel of her close family members that eventually persuaded her to flee. According to her son, who spoke with the BBC, Hasina finally agreed to leave at the last moment. Within hours of her departure, protestors stormed her residence.

The National Security Council convened a meeting on Sunday morning, attended by the heads of the three military branches, senior security officials, and police chiefs. The atmosphere was tense, as weeks of anti-government protests had placed immense pressure on the Prime Minister. The violent unrest, the worst since Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971, had claimed hundreds of lives.

On Sunday alone, at least 90 people were killed, most of whom were protestors who died from law enforcement gunfire, although some police officers were also killed by the crowd. BBC Bengali learned from officials that Hasina wanted to keep “two options” open: while preparing to leave the country, she still harbored hopes of clinging to power by force.

However, senior military officials refused to support her. By Sunday, the military on the ground had merged with the general population and the protestors, leading senior officials to realize that the situation had spiraled out of control. Several sources told the BBC that during a separate meeting, military leaders informed the Prime Minister that the army would not fire on civilians but could provide security assistance to the police.

Senior police officials expressed concerns about running out of ammunition, a detail that later became public. Retired Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hossain told the BBC, “The police were exhausted. We heard they didn’t have enough ammunition.” Nevertheless, Sheikh Hasina dismissed these warnings, and no one dared to contradict her directly during the meeting.

Following the meeting, Sheikh Hasina disregarded the escalating crisis and issued a statement labeling the protestors as “terrorists” and urging the public to resist the “arsonists.” The security forces feared that the country was on the brink of civil war.

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Images of the Sunday violence quickly went viral on social media as the death toll mounted. Photos of injured young people shot by the police and members of the ruling Awami League’s youth wing fueled further outrage. As the scale of the clashes became clear, leaders of the anti-discrimination movement announced they would bring forward their mass march to Dhaka by a day, surprising the authorities.

Intelligence reports suggested that the students’ demands were gaining public support, with thousands planning to take to the streets of the capital the next day. Another round of bloodshed seemed inevitable if security forces tried to stop them. Consequently, Army Chief General Waqar-Uz-Zaman decided to speak with the Prime Minister again.

According to multiple reliable sources, on Sunday evening, the heads of the three military branches met with Sheikh Hasina and respectfully explained that the situation on the ground was growing increasingly unstable. Thousands could converge on Dhaka by Monday morning, and they could no longer guarantee her safety.

Although Sheikh Hasina refused to take their advice, journalists in Dhaka sensed that power was shifting. By Sunday night, police presence had diminished in many areas, and numerous security barricades were left unmanned.

Retired Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hossain commented that Hasina was resolute in her refusal to resign or leave the country. The three military chiefs tried to explain the situation to her, stating that it would be difficult for the soldiers to fire on the public, as the army is part of the nation and the soldiers come from the villages—they would not shoot their own people.

By Monday morning, masses of people were heading toward Dhaka. General Waqar-Uz-Zaman went to Hasina’s residence once more to explain the gravity of the situation, as people were breaking curfews and violence had already erupted. The police were being withdrawn from many parts of Dhaka. General Waqar-Uz-Zaman told Hasina that they could only hold off the crowds reaching her official residence, Ganabhaban, for at most an hour.

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At this point, the military chiefs decided to enlist the help of Hasina’s family to convince her to leave. They spoke with her sister, Sheikh Rehana, asking if she could persuade Hasina to go. According to reports from Prothom Alo cited by the BBC, officials discussed the situation with Sheikh Rehana in a separate room, urging her to explain the reality to her sister.

Sheikh Rehana then spoke to Hasina, but she remained adamant about retaining power. It was only after phone calls from her son Sajeeb Wazed and daughter Saima Wazed, who were abroad, that Hasina agreed to leave. Family discussions continued in the presence of the Army Chief, who is related to Hasina by marriage.

Sajeeb Wazed told the BBC on Tuesday, “My mother did not want to leave the country at all. We had to persuade her.” He added that she had started considering resignation since Saturday evening. “We, her family members, begged her, urging that the mob was unruly and out for violence, and they would kill her. We needed to get her to safety.”

According to Wazed, she had just enough time to escape before the crowd reached her residence. With little preparation, they made a hurried departure. He confirmed that Hasina was doing well in Delhi, though deeply disappointed, feeling betrayed by the people of Bangladesh.

Sources revealed that on Monday morning, Sheikh Hasina contacted Indian officials in Delhi to request safe passage. India, her staunch ally throughout her long career, advised her to leave the country. It has come to light that a day earlier, Washington had informed India’s Ministry of External Affairs that Hasina’s time was up, leaving her with no other options.

Retired Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hossain noted that Hasina resigned only when she realized the military was not backing her, as people were breaking curfews and marching toward her residence. Although she reluctantly signed her resignation, the question remained of how to safely escort her out of the country.

A senior military official, who wished to remain anonymous, told BBC Bengali that only a few high-ranking military officials from the Special Security Force, Presidential Guard Regiment, and Army Headquarters knew when she signed her resignation, boarded a military helicopter, and left the country. The entire operation was conducted with utmost secrecy.

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At 10:30 AM local time on Monday, authorities shut down the internet to prevent any news of Hasina’s movements from spreading on social media. It was only after her departure that the internet was restored.

Military sources confirmed that arrangements had been made to ensure Sheikh Hasina’s safe arrival at the airport, amid concerns of possible attacks on her convoy. The route was cleared, and the departure point secured. However, it was deemed unsafe for her to travel by road, so a helicopter was used instead.

Sajeeb Wazed recounted that even as they were about to leave, his mother was reluctant to board the helicopter. “She wanted my aunt [Rehana] to go, but she herself did not want to get on the helicopter. I had to call and persuade her. I told my aunt she needed to go.”

Eventually, they boarded a waiting C-130 Hercules of the Bangladesh Air Force, departing from Ganabhaban. Wazed speculated that they first traveled to Agartala, the capital of the Indian state of Tripura, before being flown to Delhi. Indian officials had been contacted in advance, and arrangements for her transit were confirmed.

Other reports suggest she was taken to an airport in Dhaka by helicopter before flying to Delhi. Officials confirmed that, regardless of the route, Hasina, her sister Rehana, and senior Awami League MP Salman F. Rahman were transferred from the helicopter to a plane bound for Delhi around 1:30 PM local time on Monday.

A video circulating on social media showed four or five suitcases being loaded onto the waiting aircraft or helicopter. Many of the items left behind at her residence were looted by the crowd, some of which occurred while she was mid-flight.

Hours later, the plane landed in Delhi, but the passengers’ final destination remained unclear. As the internet was restored in Dhaka, celebrations erupted across Bangladesh, marking the end of Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.

Once hailed as a democrat, Sheikh Hasina was later condemned as an autocrat. Her eventual departure, with the internet cut off, bore the hallmarks of a fugitive fleeing under cover.

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